THE LATEST FROM REEFTON.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 405, 14 January 1909, Page 6

THE LATEST FROM REEFTON.

A "NASTY FEELING." . (DI TELBGItArH—PRESS ASSOCIATION.) ': Reefton, January 13. J Matters are quiet on the surface, but a lasty. feeling is gaining ground: The companies are being generally blamed 'or the' delayi . Th"ey excise themselves, on iccount, of non-receipt of the insurance reguations. .1 ' ' " The.Caledonian United '.mine issued..' a 1 veokly report to-day, the first weekly -miningreport yet; issued- I, this year. . The only: mining ! vork in progress is in the Caledonian United ind inr tio Golden Fleece (tributors). FURTHER APPEAL FROM OWNERS. A fiELEGATION. tBT TELEGBirn—rHES.w 'AISOCIATtON.I Auckland, January 13: . A telegram., has been sent,'to; Sir' Joseph Ward, .stating' that, at a .meeting 1 of mine-,, iwners this • morning great anxiety was .ex-1 >ressed~owing to;the difficulty in reference to, ;he : mining''. trouble.; The companies: are [till: waiting'the decision- of , the State. Acci-' lent Insurance' Department',;regarding -the ssue of policies coVering'miners' disease, and ;reat. loss, is . daily:, sustained.. by both com)dnies|'and .workers.- . -The:, workers express themselves as desjerate. V : - ■ ' - - The' meeting : was unanimously of opinion, ■hat, failing the i?sue of satisfactory covering policies; l either a special session of Parliament should be forthwith, convened, or the. nen: should submit to medical- exammation." Che : mine-pwners, ,it' was .pointed .out, had--10 alternative but to keep the mines .closed intil'-.thri difficulty;was satisfactorily.settled. It was further resolved that representatives if all' the-'mining companies in the Auckand .district 'be : sent,, to Wellington - aisfsocn 1 is a date can be arranged with ..the Premier. NORTHERN MINERS IRRITABLE. "THE PREMIER'S WORD." - ■ CBIi TELEOEArn—PRES3 ASSOCIATION.! "..:> Thames, January 13. There-is no chango in the local position •egarding -.'the .'mining- '.crisis, except that, the nen are growing irritable- at the delay. - It s urged ,that now that the Government has ;uaranteed the State Insurance Department tgainst; loss, ; the miners' should. be allowed, to eturn ; : tb work, and the Premier's .'word be akeri.:as; sufficient" official,.; pronounpemont .'to. warrant the.companies recommencing': operaions. ?.Both contractors and wages men have ■ leeri-reifusod /admission' to. the minfes, - and a, egal opinion .will be taken as. to .whether ;hev havo'.rodress.-. / vv- • ,t The- Karangahake miners offered to ccmo iut: iii % sympathy' .with f. the / workers • .at " the, 3rown " mine (Karangahake), _where the nanagemcnt declined to admit without medial examination,' hut the Thames Union ad•ise .the .Karangahake. men to keep at work, ind not: precipitate matters. .■/ V-).-i / Telegrams ; explaining the. position have been qrwarded to• : tliia - Ministers" for 'Mines/ arid. 3ENNISTON: COLLIERS TAKE A HAND. , WILL SUPPORT GOLD-MIXERS. : ' AND ENFORCE BANK-TO-BANK V DAY. . ; t'(DY' T&LScnArn —press association.! , • .•/•••-.j . ( y:WutQort,- January 13.' ••Tiitljaf-special;generalVmeeting qf the:. Den-, listen 'Miners'. XJriion last",-night ;it v was def sided :to ' support,, the gold-miners ,in : .their ight- against', medical examination, financi- : illy and morally,- if necessary; ■ also, to comily with any mandate from the. executive of ;he; New.'-Zealand 'Miners' .Federation.: 5 It was .also decided vto take . advantage of :be Coal' Mines Amendment Act;' 1908, and vork eight ,hours from 'bank-to-bank on and if tor Saturday, January 23. v, ':'V : BANK-TO-BANK DAY EXPLAINED. The miners at Denniston. are at present, irid have>:beeh: for.some years, working : under in award of the Arbitration Court' in. which :he : '•'bank-tij-bank'- -principle,- 'as ■it is: callod, las ~not been conceded;* ■■ The" Court : was ilw'ays ; 'urged,'..but" never saw its way, '.to rary its decision on this point, and \ the dislatisfaotion /of, the .miner's, led them to look io'. ; Parliament'' for relief. Until ;the. year .907 ■ the bank-to-bank ; principle was . "Bubect to the provisions of any award in force" mder-ihev Arbitration . Act. : Acting for ' the niners, Mr. J. Colvin introduced r a, Bill in .907. : whichproposed' .to striko' out.',this j re-: triotion : upon,- the operation, of ;,the banls-'to-iarik principle* V With . the support .of tlje xovernment .'he'-succeeded in; getting'his', BUI. nade law. i,::.,.../V'"- '■ The Donniston miners, believing that the imendinerit thus mado over-rode the existing tward of the Court under which they: were vorking, refused to work under the'te'rmß if -the,■awaridi::: The ; Court, was appealed to, md it;.ifined-:..the.'minersfor freaking the ,'thatjthe; .award remained un-! iffected by, the new Act. : The miners were (xasperat'edj'flnd a'serious.:crisis quickly'dereloped: : Sir Joseph Ward and Mr. Millar lastened to Denniston and patched up.an nformal .agreement between the disputing jarties, peace being thus .restored : : at;,the tost of flouting, the Arbitration Court. The neffectiVeness - of the. Act-.introduced Jolvin led the Government to' introduce ifti let. to place the over-riding of the- Court's iward beyond all'doubt. It was accordingly macted :■ iiii.avCoal .Mines/ Amendment Act session -that the bank-to-bank principle ihould rule'notwithstanding - the provisions >f any award ,or. industrial agreement now ir hereafter to be in force." DEMENT COMPANY • CONTINUES WORK; tBT" TILKOttII'H—VTtViSS .isOfIATION.) • Auckland, January 13. The New Zealand Portland Cement works, vhich expected to have to' close its works 10-day-. or to-morrow owing ,to .the want ;of :uel, ; hfis- made arrangements for a supply )f, coal which it is expected will be, suffi-, )ient to.run."the, works indefinitely. .-' 1 ;